In this episode, Mike Yao joins us to discuss the effects of the social media business model on our lives and the world around us. We explore how the monetization of our data affects our privacy and how the algorithms that power social media platforms shape our online experiences. Mike also shares his insights on best practices for users, including how to leverage social media to your advantage while avoiding potential pitfalls.

Timestamps

(00:34) Introductions

(04:15) Better definitions of social media

(10:12) Underlying mechanisms and big tech decisions

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(15:05) Is social media bad for you?

(19:45) Short-term effects on behavior

(28:40) Algorithms-

(31:15) Context collapse

(39:00) Features for a better platform

(42:33) How to think about new platforms in a realistic way

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(50:40) How to use social media wisely

(54:15) Why better attempts at social media have failed

(57:30) How to start a new platform

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